Wrestling: Twito looks to handle state atmosphere better

The other 223 Class 3A state wrestling qualifiers and their coaches surrounded him on the event floor, utilizing tight pockets of space for warm-ups.

Up in the crowd were fans every which way. Their cheers, combined with the speakers, contributed to a deafening volume of sound and noise.

And after every blink, Twito noticed a kaleidoscope of different school colors.

“I was pretty freaked out,” Twito said of his state meet debut on Feb. 16, 2011, at 119 pounds. “I was crazy nervous.

“You start thinking about your match and, ‘What if I lose in front of all these people?’”

The atmosphere proved to be overwhelming.

Twito lost both his matches that day — 10-4 to Dowling Catholic senior Ben Bonin and by a 1 minute, 49-second pin at the hands of Indianola sophomore Jacob Howard.

“I wasn’t confident I could beat many people at state,” Twito said.

Now a 126-pound Ames High junior, Twito is back for a second crack at state, which begins at 9 a.m. today.

He’s bigger. He’s faster. He’s stronger. He’s wiser.

And Twito’s determined to not let the Wells Fargo Arena atmosphere consume him again.

“He’s definitely come a long way from last year,” Ames coach Drew Kelly said. “He’s grown as a wrestler physically and mentally. He’s ready to go.”

Twito’s approach on the mat has changed.

He now tries to be the aggressor, rather than reacting to his opponents.

Twito enters state with a 31-10 record.

“He’s much more active,” said junior teammate Sam Peterson, one of Twito’s regular practice partners. “He’s a lot better on his feet, he’s a lot better at shooting and he’s a lot better finishing his shots.”

Twito has been passing on advice to 195-pound junior teammate Justin Klinkel, the only other Ames state qualifier.

Klinkel entered the district tournament seeded third. He went on to win the title, earning his first state bid.

“I’m not really sure what to expect down there,” Klinkel said. “I know it’s going to be a lot different.”

He’s about to find out.

And once each state qualifier walks out into the chaos, there’s no looking back.

“I’ll still be nervous — that’s not going to go away — but I think I’ll be able to control it this time,” Twito said. “This year, I really need to zone it out.”